Thursdays with Gertie
by marble eyes
Summary: When Helga Pataki was forced to take on a new job due to money problems, she didn't realise what she was getting herself into. But after a while she begins to develop a friendship that will change her life and touch her heart forever.
1. Lila

**Hello, I do not own Hey Arnold or and of its characters. This is my new story based on the relationship on Helga and Gertie, it's sort of loosely a prequel based on a fanfic that I've written before, and so it will have some similarities but be completely different at the same time. Any ho… I hope any one who reads this enjoys it :) Thank you for reading. **

Helga Pataki leaned her head on the table, feeling the cold wood against her forehead. She was screwed; it was the only way to describe her situation. She looked around her flat and sighed. Even with all the overtime she'd been doing at work, and her new flat mate, she was never going to be able to afford the next rent payment. It would take a miracle to fix this.

She lifted her head and pulled the paper towards her, ready to work her way through the job advertisements again. When had it all gotten so messed up? Her job as a journalist was barely paying the bills, and her writing career had hit a massive block. She felt her headache beginning to get worse, why did there only seem to be problems, not solutions in Helga. G. Pataki's life? The thought of her father suddenly flashed within her subconscious, there was no way she'd ever ask him for a loan, no way! It was bad enough she had to see him for Christmas and Thanksgiving, without the whole speech of 'So Olga your stupid writing career still hasn't taken off?…Just like I predicted…and you come to me for a loan?…why can't you be more like your sister?' She groaned thinking about her sister, her perfect sister. Olga was now happily married to a perfect husband, with a perfect job and waiting for the patter of perfect tiny feet. Helga was twenty five years old, single, and was a career that was going nowhere. She groaned again.

'Hey Helga'

She rolled her eyes hearing movement from the kitchen, as Brad Green stumbled his way into her room. She looked at him almost in disgust; his long curly red hair was thick with grease, and his unshaven beard full of old food. He was a mess.

'I was wondering if I could have some of your milk?'

'Knock yourself out' she sighed.

'Cheers Helga you are a gem.' He grinned and lifted the bottle that was in his hands to his lips and started to gulp it down with the most disgusting noise.

Helga cringed inwardly, and wondered why she'd even agreed to let such a sloth live with her. She sighed again, watching as he left the room and continued on his quest to violate all that Helga found hygienic. He hadn't always been like this. Brad Green was the son of Mr Green, and the two hadn't spoken in years. Brad had moved back to Hillwood after his divorce from his wife Heather. He had moved back with the hope that he and his father may fix their relationship. The guy still hadn't plucked up the courage to even let his father know that he was back, apparently it was all to do with some stupid row about Brad being a vegetarian. Helga rolled her eyes, life was too short. Brad had moved into her flat clean shaved and a business man, however, the flat seemed to have a way of destroying anyone's life who decided to live within it. Brad was now worked for the local dump and spent most his time writing songs about a girl he used to be in love with in High School.

As much as Helga hated to admit it, she actually did enjoy sharing with Brad, even though he ate and drank most her food and left the apartment in a complete mess. They both seemed to be lost in their own way, and destined to love someone who probably didn't even remember them any more. But that didn't pay the rent, and she had to admit they were both struggling.

She looked down at the paper again and suddenly an advertisement caught her eye: 'Helper Wanted: Loving family seeks helper for two hours every Thursday for Grandmother. No previous experience is needed, generous pay. Call Lila on:'

Helga suddenly made a grab for her phone. She could do Thursdays; it was one of the only days she had off during the week. She paused suddenly thinking the whole idea was madness, how could she look after a Grandmother? She paused again, her finger hovering over the phone. It would be better than going to Bob for money, she chewed her lip, and it did say generous pay and she needed the money. She shook her head, she was Helga G Pataki, she could handle anything, she smirked and began to dial the number; this would be a piece of cake.

It was after the second voice that a perky voice suddenly answered the phone 'Hello, Sunset Arms Boarding House, Lila Speaking.'

Helga nearly dropped the phone in shock, she paused and for the first time in years was speechless.

'Hello?' the voice on the other end of the phone sounded less sure that anyone was there; but Helga knew that voice anywhere: Lila Sawyer A.K.A Little Miss Perfect. She sighed heavily and began to talk 'Hey, it's' she paused 'Helga'

'Oh!' Came the high pitched reply, 'Oh' It was now obvious to Helga that Lila seemed to know exactly who she was talking to. 'Helga, how lovely for you to call, I thought after high school that we'd…oh but it's ever so lovely hearing your voice again, makes me ever so glad you've got in contact' she gushed.

'Listen Lila' she paused realising her tone of voice almost sounded threatening. She swallowed hard and started again. 'I haven't called for a polite chat; I've called about the job in the paper.' Helga felt her face flush red with shame, this was what money had caused her to do, and she felt humiliated. But even having Miss Perfect as her employer would be better than one of Bob's lectures on what a waste of time her writing career was.

There was a paused from Lila 'Oh Helga! That would be perfect!'

She scowled wondering if Lila had been hit on the head since they'd last met, and knew that the girl she used to know had a smile stretched across her face, the smile that used to melt every boy's heart back in High School.

'I think you'd be perfect for the job Helga. You see it's Arnold's grandmother, you remember Arnold's grandmother right? Well since Phil's died Arnold's been taking care of her.'

Helga closed her eyes upon hearing Arnold's name; it always caused her heart to string painfully. They hadn't spoken since he'd left to find his parents. She didn't even know he was even back in the country. All he'd left her with was a broken heart and a kiss goodbye at the airport. It was that kiss that could partly take the blame for the shambles/relationships that she'd experienced since. Even though she was strong, and perfectly happy within her life, Helga had to admit that she still held a torch that burned as bright as ever for Arnold…well that and an urge to thump him with old Betsy for screwing with her head.

She swallowed the lump that had formed within her throat, 'If Arnold's there, then why do you need to advertise?'

'Well Helga, to be honest' she could hear a note of panic in the other girl's voice. 'Arnold's been studying to be a doctor lately, which means he spends hours away from home.' She paused. 'When Arnold hired me to manage the boarding house and look after his grandmother, I thought that looking after Gertie wouldn't be much of a problem.' She sniffed heavily. 'I didn't realise that she wouldn't' a dry sob came from her throat, 'that she wouldn't _like_ me.' Quiet full on sobbing came from the other end of the phone.

Helga resisted the urge to roll her eyes at this revelation.

'I've tried ever-so hard, but Gertie won't talk to me…and I just…need a few hours on a Thursday to see Arnie. I just don't want to let Arnold down; it would feel like I failed.' Lila sighed.

'How much?'

'I'm sorry?'

'How much are you willing to pay me to do this?' Helga decided to just blatantly get to the point.

Lila let out a heavy relieved sigh. 'Fifty dollars.'

Helga let out a whistle, imagining what she could do with an extra two hundred dollars a month.

'But there's something you must know Helga.' Said Lila quickly, 'The reason I'm willing to pay someone so much is because Gertie doesn't seem to like strangers. I've already hired five people that she's driven away. I think Gertie is…' Lila paused and whispered 'mentally ill. It seems like she's gone out of her way to terrorize and get rid of whoever I've chosen.'

'Lila, enough with the small talk. I'll do it, when do I start?'

'You could come over tomorrow about four o'clock.' said Lila, sounding almost excited. 'Just to see if you and Gertie are compatible. But Helga please could I ask you not to tell anyone about this, or I could be fired.'

Helga again resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'I'll be there.'

'You remember where Arnold used to live, right? Oh, this is going to be ever so lovely, how wonderful it will be for us to catch up.'

Helga grunted in response to her question, 'Goodbye Lila.'

'Bye Helga.'

She sighed in relief, ending the call. After all these years she still couldn't stand the girl. She looked down again at the advertisement in the paper; why was little Miss Perfect so desperate to find someone else to look after Gertie? The whole situation sounded slightly unusual to Helga, and she wondered what the girl's true motives were for not telling Arnold that she could not cope. An old image of Arnold's grandmother flashed through her mind, and sudden emotion of worry and pity flooded through Helga's heart for the woman that Lila seemingly didn't want around.


	2. Gertie

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter :) Sorry the second one has taken so long, I was really nervous about writing Gertie's personality and apologise if she seems a little OOC in this chapter. So here is chapter two, thank you for reading. **

Helga looked up at the old Boarding house and resisted the urge to gasp. The place looked…old and lifeless. She sighed, remembering all the years she'd spent outside watching this door, waiting for the object of her affection, her angel, her sun to appear. It all seemed a blurred memory within the past now, she hadn't seen Arnold in years and more importantly she had changed. She pushed the memories of the past aside and began to walk up the stairs, she had barely reached the front door, when it swung open to reveal Lila.

The red haired girl flung her arms around Helga and held her tightly. 'Oh Helga, it is ever so good to see you!' she exclaimed.

Helga stood there stiffly, not enjoying the close contact with Lila. Normally people who invaded her personal space like this didn't wake up until the next day with a large lump on their head, but she needed the money and allowed Lila to hug her tightly for a moment more, before pulling away.

'Helga, you look lovely.'

She wondered briefly if Lila was trying to be ironic, as Helga appraised the girl in front of her. The girl as always was beautiful, dressed in a forest green silk shirt and a black skirt that reached her knee, to reveal stylish and obviously expensive boots. Helga in comparison knew she looked a mess, in jeans that were ripped at the knees, a baggy pink jumper and her long blonde hair that was curled messily at the ends.

'Please come in,' gushed Lila, she pointed towards the kitchen and Helga stepped through the door. She concealed the gasp upon entering the hallway, no animals rushed out and it was now stylishly decorated like something from a magazine, again it just looked wrong. The kitchen was also transformed, and Helga felt a pang of nostalgia for the house of the past that now only seemed to live in her memory.

'What does Arnold think to these improvements?' the question slipped from her lips before she had a chance to stop it.

The smile on Lila's face dimmed a little. 'He and the other residents at the time were not very impressed, but don't you think change is good Helga?'

She scowled at Lila's choice of words. 'Sometimes'

'May I offer you some coffee Helga?' Lila seemed slightly disappointed by Helga's response to her improvements.

'No, I'd rather not.' She replied, deliberately being defiant.

'Well perhaps it's time you met Gertrude.'

Helga sighed, beginning to tire of Lila's company. She had nothing against the girl, just never had much time for her. She looked at her watch, wishing that she was at home right now.

'If you'd like to follow me Helga, I'm ever so certain that you and Gertrude will hit it off.' She smiled and began to walk out of the kitchen towards the stairs. Helga followed her scowling at the noise Lila's spiky high heeled boots made on each step. She felt a pang of annoyance as she watched the back of Lila walk gracefully up the stairs, and noticed her hair was tied back in a bun in which did not even have one single hair was loose; perfect as always. Perhaps that's what Arnold always saw in her. She scowled again trying to shake away the old memories and the image of the boy she had loved so long ago.

'Well this is it' Lila smiled at Helga, before knocking on an old dusty door. 'Gertrude, you have a visitor.' Lila paused before turning the door handle and letting herself into the room.

Helga followed her and gasped. Arnold's grandmother who used to look so full of life lay in the middle of the bed asleep; she swallowed hard, all thoughts of money and Lila evaporating. She looked so old, so frail, and so vulnerable; Helga felt tears beginning to form at her eyes. Why was she putting herself through this? A painful trip down memory lane, for what? A few measly dollars. She looked at the door wanting to escape, Lila could keep her job! She couldn't do this.

'Why don't you just sit down there on that chair, I'll be back in a moment.'

Before Helga could even answer she was practically shoved into a chair, and Lila had left the room closing the door behind her. She stared at the wall, at the ceiling, anywhere but at form of the sleeping woman in front of her. Helga swallowed heavily again, realising that she was terrified of this woman. The strong woman who had practically raised Arnold and lived so wildly now looked so old and lifeless.

She looked over to Arnold's grandmother and realised with a start that she didn't seem to be breathing or even moving. For a second she was frozen in place. What if she was dead? Perhaps Lila had killed her and now was framing Helga for it. 'Snap out of it Pataki' she told herself harshly.

The floor creaked and Helga almost jumped up from the shock of it. She clenched her fists; she was Helga G Pataki for goodness sake! She was made of stronger stuff than this! She stood up and made her way over to the bed, she leaned over Arnold's grandmother's face, looking for any sign of life, not noticing a certain locket of hers slipping out from beneath her jumper.

She kept on staring down at her looking for any sigh of life, wondering how Arnold was going to react to the death of his beloved grandmother. Helga suddenly screamed, as Gertrude's eyes shot open, and her arm reached out and grabbed her necklace. Within a moment Helga was pulled onto the bed and her right hand wrist was handcuffed to the bed frame. She groaned, feeling dazed and confusion.

Gertie grinned, now standing next to the bed looking down at Helga how she had been minutes before. 'Sorry about that doll face, but little Boo Peep will only be gone for short amount of time and by that time I will no longer be one of her sheep.'

Helga stared up still dazed, looking up at the woman she had considered so frail minutes before. How stupid had she been! Arnold's grandmother looked as strong as ever! She was dressed in a black suit and tie, and was now pushing sunglasses up her nose and wiping off the white make-up she'd applied to make herself look so pale.

She watched as the woman flung open the curtains, to reveal a window that was blocked by bars. Bars! Suddenly she realised she was not dealing with a sweet little old lady, but a raging psychopath!

'Listen Bucko! Do you realise who you're dealing with?' Helga felt her anger rising to the surface.

Arnold's grandmother continued to ignore her and had now brought out a nail file from nowhere and was trying to saw into the bars.

Helga's mouth fell open, as the nail file was flung across the room and a hand saw was ripped out of a nearby teddy.

The door to the room was suddenly flung open and Lila stood there in shock. 'Oh my!' she exclaimed seeing Helga handcuffed to the bed and Gertrude frozen in mid-saw. 'Gertrude unlock Helga this instant!'

The life seemed to drain from Arnold's grandmother, as her shoulders slumped as she shuffled over to Helga and set her free while continuing to look down at the floor. Helga sat up quickly, and suddenly felt her anger directed towards Lila instead of Gertrude. Helga frowned realising with a start that she liked this woman; the woman who had handcuffed her to the bed and kept a handsaw in a teddy bear.

Helga shook herself and stood up, realising that Lila was now babbling on, using the words 'sorry' and 'unstable'.

'Lila, do me a favour and please just shut up for one second.'

Lila's mouth fell open, and even though the boots made her taller than Helga, she took a step back feeling slightly nervous of the other girl's stronger personality. She regained her composure and focused again upon Gertrude Shortman; the woman who made Lila's life at the boarding house unbearable. 'Get back into bed Gertrude, and once Helga's gone please take off those clothes and put back on your night gown, you know what the doctor would say.'

Helga's eyes darkened as she felt a strange urge to protect Arnold's grandmother.

'I'll do what you say this time Blanche, but next time Johnny Red shoes will be waiting for me outside when I finally spring this joint.' With that she took of the glasses and her eyes met Helga's. A flash of understanding passed between the two, before Helga broke the gaze.

'Well Helga, Thank you for coming today,' Lila smiled loosely. 'I guess after that we won't be seeing you again.'

Helga looked over at Gertie, who was now climbing back into bed, trying to hide the victory within her eyes.

'Why not? Don't you want me to work for you any more?'

Lila's eyes lit up, 'Oh Helga! Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

'I like a challenge and nobody gets the better of Helga G Pataki.' She looked over at Gertie as she said this.

A smirked stretched across the other woman's thin lips. 'Oh look Phil,' she said to the air 'I think Medusa has finally brought us a challenge.'

Helga inwardly groaned, realising she'd accepted her hardest challenge yet. If it wasn't for her stubbornness she would have left a long time ago. But there was something about the older lady that intrigued and challenged Helga. She wanted to get to know Gertie regardless of her relationship with Arnold; she wanted to get to know her.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Lila directing her out the room; she was almost out the room when a voice stopped her.

'Eleanor?'

Helga turned and realised that the older woman was addressing her.

'I'll be waiting for you.'

Helga tried to come up with a witty response, but was taken aback by the glint within Gertie's eyes that told her this job would be far from boring. She hardly had time to think if the older woman had meant her comment pleasantly or rather it was a threat as to what was to come. She took one last look at the woman, before she was ushered out of the room by Lila.


End file.
